FLORENCE, Ky. -- The game slipped away as quickly as the ball popped out of Brad Roblin's mitt.
The Freedom scored a pair of unearned runs in the ninth inning to win 8-6 after the Beach Bums had tied the contest in the seventh inning.
Jeff Williams started the inning off by plunking Florence shortstop Jeff Landry and Ryan Basham walked with two outs before a fly ball by Angel Molina was misplayed by right fielder Brad Roblin. Pinch runner Zach Hartle and Basham came around to score the deciding runs.
The Beach Bums have lost four of their last six.
Steve Young doubled to start off the ninth off Florence closer Cody Castle, but Castle was able to retire the next three batters in order to preserve the win and earn his seventh save of the season.
Young had a 3-for-4 night with an RBI, double, run scored and his 15th steal of the season.
Mike Epping stole three bases to up his season total to 20. He came into the night trailing Kalamazoo's league-leading Joe Ramos by two thefts.
Mike Goetz, Joe Blackburn and Jeff Brown added two hits a as the Beach Bums outhit the Freedom 11-9. Brown hit a solo homer to right in the sixth, his first of the year.
Florence's Tim Grogan made up for two errors in the field with a three-hit game at the plate.
J.T. King was roughed up for four runs in four innings. He walked five and gave up four hits, but didn't take the loss.
Jared Locke came on in relief for the fifth and sixth frames and surrendered two runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Pete McEneaney fanned two in the seventh and gave way to Williams.
The Bums were able to get 10 hits off Florence starter Everett Saul in six-plus innings. Relievers Yosandy Ibanez and Castle gave up just one more base hit in 22/3 innings of work.
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